Purpose

What an incredible day! Dr. Chris Klaes and his daughter Carly came in from Indianapolis for scoliosis corrective care. Carly let us film her initial exam, treatment, and rehab. This tough teenage trooper put up with a full day of care and rehab, and by the end of the day, her follow-up base vertex film (which when taken in the morning, indicated an upper angle off to the left by 3 degrees), had no rotation--it was down to zero! We all got emotional at the results. This whole trip has been emotional--like a spiritual retreat.

Carly laden with head and hip weights walking the "tightrope"

I came out here bedraggled from the weightiness of the demands of the previous quarter with no time or energy to prepare in advance. My expectations were to observe, learn, and potentially help out with rehab on DeJeanne or some other patients. My expectations have been blown out of the atmosphere on so many levels. I never expected such kindness and graciousness in receiving chiropractic care at this clinic for my own spinal traumas--which left me disabled from the military and medically disqualified from flying. At one point in time, I was suffering to such a severe extent for such a long period of time, I was concerned I would not be able to bear children due to the extreme amount of pain I endured due to my back and neck trauma. Chiropractic has given me back my life. Although, just chiropractic itself can never be enough to completely rehab my spine and muscles. I've listened to lectures, read powerpoints and literature on the amazingly fast and long-standing stable results of structural spinal and scoliosis correction, but my progress has been slow and laborious while at school--and not near any doctors who really understand and know how to employ effective structural correction. And here we are in St. Cloud, Minnesota, our very spines under care of the world-wide leading expert in scoliosis correction. He has given us such a priceless gift of his most precious and demanding time--to answer our numerous questions, to pour into us knowledge, instruction, energy, passion, and care.

I have seen, first-hand, the miraculous results of this type of care and rehab--the impact on the lives of patients with scoliosis in such a short amount of time. The medical community offers a barbaric correction technique that hasn't improved since it's inception in the 1970's--side effects still connote DJD and arthritis, if not injury to the brachial plexus, spine, spinal cord, vasculature, and surrounding muscles. Chiropractic's answer to their grim band-aid, is restored structure and function, life and vitality. I heard the heart-wrenching testimony of a patient who had the Herrington rod surgery in 1971 by the leading expert in the country. When she took her 14 year old son to the doctor out of concern for his scoliosis health, the doctors insisted he get the surgery. She vowed she would do anything to save her son from the physical and emotional struggles she's dealth with over the past 3 decades and at all costs, avoid the Herrington rod surgery. She recently found Dr. Woggon, who has helped her son, as he's given hope to so many others.

I have so many emotions and thoughts running through my mind. Without a doubt, this is the kind of chiropractic care that I want to provide for patients. This is why I am in chiropractic school--this is why I am becoming a chiropractor--this is how I feel called to serve God for the rest of my life.